Dehydrating apparatus



.I. D. COX. DEHYDRATING APPARATUS. .APPUCATION Fur-10 90125, 1921.

Patented May 23, 1922'.

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J. D. COX. DEHYDRATI NG APPARATUS. APPLICATION flLED OCT. 25, 1921.

Patented May 23, 1922.

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JOSEPH D. COX, OF HEALDSBUBG, CALIFORNIA.

DEHYDRATING APPARA'IUS.

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Application and October 25, 192i.

T 0 all whom it M ay concerns Be it known that I, Josnrri D. Cox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Healdsburg, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dehydrating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a drying apparatusparticularly designed for use in the drying of fruit or other commodities, and which apparatus is adapted for receiving the field drying trays now universally in use.

Among the objects o1 this invention is to provide a dehydrating apparatus: wherein dry air is employed for the drying medium and which air is heated during its entire travel through the apparatus; one wherein the material containing trays provide a plu- 'ality of chambers extending longitudinally of the apparatus and which chambers afford passages over the open tops of the trays for the drying element; to provide a construction wherein the passage of air through any given chamber may be controlled at will, and to incorporate in a dehydrating apparatus suitable heating coils, one adapted to extend the full length of each chamber.

lVith the above mentioned and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims maybe resorted to without dqaarting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the adv-am tages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of one embodiment of my apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating particularly the header, for the steam coils associ ated with the chambers.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, illustrating particularly the coils in the pre-heating chamber.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken on line ll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detailed View of the mounting for the tray compartment doors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Serial No. 510,327.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the tray guides taken on line 66 of Fig. 4. it

Fig. 7 is a view in detail of the coil supporting means taken on line T--7 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a sectional View on line 8-8 of ig. l, illust'ating the controlling valves or the passage of air through .aid cham- *ers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts-1 is a housing substantially rectangular in cross sec tion and elongated in plan, the same being provided at one end with an air inlet open ing 2 and atits opposite end with an air outlet opening 3, within which is mounted a fan or other suction device 4:.

Extending transversely of the housing for its full width and vertically thereof for its full height and disposed in parallel spaced relation at points removed from its opposite ends are the supporting walls 5 formed with longitudinal apertures 6 extending transversely therethrough, said walls dividing the housing into a plurality of tray receiving con'ipartments 7, opening at one side of the housing. The open end of each compartment is adapted to be closed by a door 8 vertically slidable at its opposite sides in guide grooves 9 formed in the front edge of the walls 5 forming each of said compartments 7.

Secured to the opposing taccs of each wall 5 forming the respective compartments 7 and positioned one between each aperture ('5, are the outwardly extending tray flanges or guides 10. extending from the front to the rear oi. the compartments,

and each adapted for receiving one oi. the

well known forms of field trays 11 having a solid bottom 12 and open tor the full area of their tops, as at 13. The trays 11 when in position, divide each compartment into a plurality of horizontally disposed chambers, and the chambers of one compartment communicate with the chambers of an adjoining compartment through the apertures 6, as illustrated in Fig. 6; thus when the trays are in position a plurality oi superimposed chambers are provided longitudinally within the housing 1 from one end to the other, and said chambers form passages directly over the top thereof through which the air tor drying the material contained on the trays passes. ()ver each aperture 6 in the dividing wall 5 adjacent the openall:

lug 3 is provided an independently operable controlling valve or gate le for controlling the passage oi air longitudinally of the housing through any horizontal row of chambers, enabling the drying of the fruit contained on any horizontal row of trays to be controlled at will:

While no special means is illustrated for operating the valves or gates 14, it is understood that any control means, capable of being purchased in the open market, may be used, such mechanism forming no part of the present inventions The heating medium for effecting the dry ing operation is preferably supplied to the drying chambers by coils or Flights of steam pipes 15, extending longitudinally ol? the housing through the apertures 6, each line of flight being supported at its point of passage through the apertures on suitable rests 16, of any desired construction. The ends of the respective coils or flights 15 are connected with the respective headers 17 and 18, a valve 19 being interposed in each coil or flight adjacent its point of connection with the feed header 17, enabling the independent control of the temperature oi" the respective coils or flights 15.

The end of the housing 1, adjacent to the air inlet opening 2, is divided transversely by spaced baffle walls 20, alternate walls terminating short of the opposite wall 01? the housing, aitording a circuitous passage 21 for the air entering through the opening 2 and prior to passing; through the apertures 6 in the first dividing wall 5. lVithin said circuitous passage 21 between adjacent baflles 20 is mounted a vertically disposed heating coil 22 connected at its upper and lower ends to the respective inlet header 23 and outlet header 2%, a controlling valve 25 being positioned within each coil 22 at its points of connection with the teed header 28.

It will be observed that I have provided an apparatus. the illustrated embodiment; of which is capable of receiving the field trays now universally in use, and which trays when positioned within the {lpl'JiLlfllll'lS provide chambers for the circulation of drying air therethrough, particularly adapting the apparatus for community use, and enabling community ranchers to utilize the ap paratus for the drying of their fruit by simply transporting the fruit to the dehydrator in the field trays without the necessity of the rehandling or dumping of the fruit from the trays.

It will also be observed that the heating coils 15, extending approximately the full length of the housing, heat the air for its full length of travel through the respective chambers, maintaining the same at an even temperature in its travel through the chambers as it is subjected to the cooling ters Patent of the United States is 1. A dehydrating apparatus comprising a housing, a plurality of parallel spaced horiaonta-lly apertured supporting walls extending transversely thereof for its full width and vertically thereof for its full height, with the apertures of adjacent walls in register throughout the length of said housing providing a plurality of tray receiving compartments, a door for closing one end of each compartment, a plurality oi parallel spaced heating elements extending longitudinally of the housing through said aligned wall aperturesiand transversely of each compartment, a tray guide 011 each compartment side wall between adjacent superimposed heat- 1g elements and extending transversely thereof providing a plurality of tray receiving racks in vertical spaced relation in each compartment, a plurality of open topped trays each of a length and width corresponding to that of one of said compartments and one adapted for removably positioning on each rack dividing said compartment longitudinally in a horizontal plane into a plu rality of chambers communicating with each other through said wall apertures and each containing a heating element between the chamber forming trays, and means for creating an air circulation longitudinally through said housing. 7

2. A dehydrating apparatus comprising a housing, a plurality of parallel spaced horizontally apertured supporting walls extend :ing transversely thereof for its full width and vertically thereof for its full height, with the apertures of adjacent walls in register throughout the length of said housing providing a plurality of tray receiving com partments, a door for closing one end of each compartment, a plurality of parallel spaced heating elements extending longitudinally of the housing through said aligned wall apertures and transversely of each compartment, a tray guide on each compartment side wall between adjacent superimposed heating elements and extending transversely thereof providing a plurality of tray receiving racks in vertical spaced relation in each compartment, a plurality of open topped trays each of a length and width corresponding to that of one of said compartments and one adapted for removably positioning on each rack dividing said compartment longitudinally in a horizontal plane into a plurality of chambers communicating with each other through said wall apertures and each containing a heating element between the chamber forming trays, a fan at one end of the housing for creating an air circulation longitudinally therethrough, and a valve associated with one end of each chamber for selectively controlling the air circulation through the same.

A dehydrating apparatus comprising a housing, a plurality of parallel spaced horizontally apertured supporting walls extending transversely thereof for its full width and vertically thereof for its full height, with the apertures of adjacent walls in register throughout the length of said housing providing a plurality of tray receiving compartments, a door for closing one end of each compartment, a plurality of parallel spaced heating elements extending longitudinally of the housing through said aligned wall apertures and transversely of each compartment, a tray guide on each compartment side wall between adjacent superimposed heating elements and extending transversely thereof providing a plurality of tray receiving racks in vertical spaced relation in each compartment, a plurality of open topped trays each of a length and width corresponding to that of one of said coinpartments and one adapted for removably positioning on each rack dividing said compartment longitudinally in a horizontal plane into a plurality of chambers communieating with each other through said wall apertures and each containing a heating element between the chamber forming trays, a fan at one end of the housing for creating an air circulation longitudinally therethrough, an air preheating chamber at the other end of said housing, and a valve for controlling the passage of air through each chamber.

4%. A dehydrating apparatus comprising a housing, a plurality of parallel spaced horizontally apertured supporting walls extending transversely thereof for its full width and vertically thereof for its full height, with the apertures of adjacent walls in register throughout the length of said housing providing a plurality of tray receiving compartments, a door for closing one end of each compartment, a plurality of parallel spaced heating elements extending longitudinally of the houslng through said aligned wall apertures and transversely of each compartment, a tray guide on each compartment side wall between adjacent superimposed heating elements and extending transversely thereof providing a plurality of tray receiving racks in vertical spaced relation in each compartment, a plurality of open topped trays each of a length and width corresponding to that of one of said compartments and one adapted for removably positioning on each rack dividing said compartment longitudinally in a horizontal plane into a plurality of chambers communicating with each other through said wall apertures and each containing a heating element between the chamber forming trays, means for creating an air circulation longitudinally through said housing and selectively operated valves for regulating the temperature of the respective heating elements.

5. A dehydrating apparatus comprising a housing divided transversely into a plurality of vertically disposed tray receiving compartments, a plurality of trays removably positioned within said compartments in spaced relation one above the other in horizontal rows longitudinally of the housing forming horizontal chambers throughout the length of the housing between adjacent superimposed rows of trays, a heating element disposed longitudinally within each chamber, means for causing an air circulation through said chambers from one end to another, and a valve associated with each chamber for controlling the passage of air therethrough.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JUSEPH D. COX. 

